Santa Claus Fund helps those with few options

From a foster home to a single mom, 'anything helps' to give Maliah, 1, a Christmas.

Maranda Williams, 21, doesn't have much time with her daughter, Maliah. That's a product of two part-time jobs for the former foster child and now single mom. The baby's father, Allan Rivera, 19, visits around once a week to Maranda's subsidized apartment at the Evangel House.

By:Jeff GreenStaff Reporter, Published on Mon Nov 12 2012

Maranda Williams has just arrived at home, but it’s dark outside and 1-year-old Maliah is ready for bed in their cramped apartment.

The 21-year-old mother lives above the Evangel Hall Mission, near Bathurst St. and Adelaide St. W. She hasn’t has time to change out of her work clothes — black yoga pants and a red T-shirt from Canadian Tire promoting its “Jumpstart” charity.

“I only see her to eat dinner with her, read a bedtime story, and then she goes to sleep,” said Williams, who navigates a kitchen filled with toys, a stroller and clothes, attempting to cook dinner as a bath fills in the background. Maliah’s father, Allan Rivera, 19, is on the couch playing with a Nintendo Wii.

He visits about once a week.

“I wish I could see her more but I don’t have that option right now,” Williams added, describing her two part-time jobs: retail, and a lifeguarding gig with the city.

She’s upbeat and in a recent jumpstart situation since she moved into the subsidized house at Evangel Hall in June. It’s a break from the full rent she had to pay in a single apartment. She has lived on her own since she left a foster home in Rexdale shortly after she turned 17.

Subsidized daycare lets her work six days a week, but leaving little time and money for Maliah, let alone for preparing a Christmas for her.

Williams’ daughter will have an extra gift this year, though, after the hall’s director, Marcela Fresolone, asked her if she could use some help.

Maliah will be one of 45,000 children in need who receive a gift through the Toronto Star’s Santa Claus Fund — $1.6 million needs to be raised to make sure every child gets a gift.

“This program is going to help me out a lot. It’s hard, day to day, being a single mom, so I’m going to really appreciate that she gets something a little more,” Williams said.